Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

Talk about the latest movies and video releases here!
Message
Author
User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#1 Post by Monterey Jack »

Halloween Horror Marathon '12

Halloween Horror Marathon '13

Halloween Horror Marathon '14

Halloween Horror Marathon '15

Halloween Horror Marathon '16

INT., VIDEO STORE

[The bell over the door dings as two young people, Johnny and Barbara, enter, both holding video tapes. It is a typical video store, with a returns counter right near the entrance and long, narrow aisles receding towards the back. There are posters on the wall, advertising the home release of recent big-screen movies, and cardboard displays advertising more movies. The shelves are fully stocked with NEW RELEASES and older movies separated into distinct GENRES. Johnny takes the tapes held by Barbara -- his sister -- places them on the returns counter, and dings the bell next to the cash register.]

JOHNNY: [calling out] Hello? Anyone back there?

BARBARA: Maybe the store is closed, Johnny.

JOHNNY: [glances back over shoulder] No, there's still twenty-five minutes until it closes. [calls out again, louder] Hello? We would like to return some movies!

BARBARA: Maybe they're out back, doing inventory or something. We could always come back...

JOHNNY: [cross] No, I don't want to get charged for another night's rental just because everyone decided to leave the counter unmanned. I mean, goodness, anyone could just walk in here, grab some money from the register and bolt, and no one would be the wiser! Who runs a business this way? [calls out even louder] WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN SOME MOVIES, PLEASE!

BARBARA: [scolding] Johnny! Be polite!

JOHNNY: Forget this! [drops video tapes in an untidy heap on the returns counter] When someone comes back, they can deal with that. Meanwhile, let's see if there's anything else good to rent before we leave.

[Johnny leads the way towards the HORROR SECTION. Barbara follows behind, throwing a guilty glance behind her at the returns counter. Johnny begins perusing the available tapes, giving each cover and back information blurb a cursory glace before moving onto the next. Barbara follows a few paces behind, looking decidedly nervous.]

JOHNNY: [irritated] Look at all this crap! [places copy of NIGHT OF THE LVING DEAD back on the shelf] Either I've seen all of these, or I wouldn't want to! I can't remember the last time they had something decent to rent.

BARBARA: [nervous] Please, Johnny, I don't feel comfortable being back here with no one else.

JOHNNY: [turns to Barbara] Eh? I know the owner well. I used to work here, you know. [picks up copy of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASACRE and starts reading the back of the box.]

BARBARA: I know that, I just think it's unwise to be in a store when there's no one who works there present.

[Johnny turns his attention back to the shelves, working his way down the row alphabetically. Barbara glances out the window into the parking lot, and notes with a twinge of alarm how the shadows have begin creeping out onto the pavement. She glances at her watch, and sees that it is now past closing time.]

BARBARA: It's past 7:00 PM, Johnny.

JOHNNY: [annoyed] Oh, please and kindly put a sock in it, I'm almost done.

BARBARA: [voice now sharper than she intended] PLEASE, Johnny!

[JOHNNY looks up, surprised. A knowing smirk begins to form across his face]

JOHNNY: Do you remember one time when we were small, we were out here, renting a movie? It was from right over there, I jumped out at you from behind the endcap display, and Grandpa got all excited, and he shook his fist at me and said, [thick accent] "Boy, you'll be damned to Hell!" (Laughs.) Remember that? Right over there. Boy, you used to really be scared here.

BARBARA: [agitated] Johnny!

JOHNNY: [surprised] You're still afraid!

BARBARA: Stop it, now! I mean it!

JOHNNY: [with a theatrical, "spooky" cadence] They're coming to *get* you, Barbara!

BARBARA: [annoyed] You're ignorant!

JOHNNY: ["spooky" cadence continues] Yes, they're *coming* for you!

[at the head of the aisle, an Employee appears. From a distance, we see him weaving slowly from side to side, actually knocking a few videotapes off the shelves at his sides]

JOHNNY: [grabs Barbara by the arm, and continues in "spooky" cadence] Look! Here comes one of them now! I'm getting out of here!

[Johnny turns and runs back down the aisle, leaving an embarrassed Barbara to deal with the Employee, who continues to advance down the aisle towards her. He continues to weave from one side of the aisle to the other, almost appearing to be inebriated, but in her state of distress and embarrassment, Barbara fails to notice. She walks down the aisle to greet the Employee halfway.]

BARBARA: Please forgive my brother, he--

[The Employee lunges out at Barbara, his fingers twisted into claws. Her head snaps up in shock and her eyes widen in fright as she finally looks into the Employee's eyes and sees nothing but an atavistic, blank HUNGER in them. She shrieks in surprise as the Employee grabs her by the upper arms and begins shaking her violently from side to side, their bodies collides with the shelves, and more video tapes go crashing to the floor, some of the plastic cases popping open and spilling the tapes inside across the carpet.]

BARBARA: JOHNNY! OH, GOD, *JOHNNY*!!!

[Johnny runs back around the far corner of the aisle and sees Barbara being accosted by the Employee. He swiftly runs down and attempts to pry his hands from his terrified sister's arms as they sway back and forth. More video tapes hit the floor]

BARBARA: JOHNNY, OH NO...!!!

[Johnny manages to free his sister from the Employee's grip, and the two men struggle violently, Barbara slumps to the floor in a daze, witnessing the events through a haze of disbelieving SHOCK. Johnny loses his glasses in the struggle, and suddenly falls to one knee. The Employee grabs his hair, and SMASHES his head into the side of a splintered plastic case. Johnny suddenly goes limp. Barbara reacts in terror as the Employee looks up at her, a vacant expression of mindless hunger in his eyes. He reaches out for her with his hands as she scuttles away. Barbara shrieks, manages to get to her feet, and bolts towards the entrance. She can hear the Employee behind her, giving lumbering pursuit, his feet knocking aside scattered video tapes.]

EXT. VIDEO STORE PARKING LOT

[Barbara yanks the front door open and runs screaming into the parking lot towards the automobile she and Johnny arrived in. She opens the door, leaps into the front seat, and slams it mere seconds before the Employee smashes his face into the glass. Barbara shrieks again and slams her hand down on the door locking mechanism as the Employee batters his hands clumsily on the glass. She reaches out towards the steering wheel.]

CLOSEUP ON DASHBOARD

[Barbara's hand reaches for the key, but we see that they are not in the ignition.]

INT. CAR

[Barbara emits a groan of frustration, then a yelp of surprise as the Employee suddenly starting hitting the car window with one of the empty plastic video containers. After three or four solid strikes, the safety glass SHATTERS, allowing the Employee to reach in towards Barbara, who cowers against the far door, whimpering.]

BARBARA: No, get AWAY...!!!

[Suddenly, there's a loud WHAP against the glass window Barbara is pressed against, and she throws a terrified glance over her shoulder...only to discover Johnny standing there, bloodied and disheveled and with a sick grin on his face.]

JOHNNY: [laughing] Oh man, we got you good, Barbara...!

[with the arrival of Johnny, the Employee suddenly ceases his attempts to enter the car, stands up, and begins to laugh as well. The two men stand there, laughing heartily, as a suddenly furious Barbara unlocks the door, exits the car, and shoves Johnny back violently. Johnny stumbles back several paces, falls to the pavement, and sits there in the growing twilight gloom, still laughing. The employee goes over to him and holds out a hand to help him up, also emitting peals of laughter.]

BARBARA: [seething] That WASN'T FUNNY, Johnny!

JOHNNY: [still chuckling] C'mon, sis, it's all in good fun! We even rigged up the window with sugar glass, so it couldn't possibly cut you.

BARBARA: God, I hate Halloween...

[Barbara walks over to the now-standing Johnny, yanks the keys from his coat pocket, gets back in the car's driver's side seat, starts the engine, and peels out of the parking lot, leaving behind a scattering of sugar glass fragments, a cloud of stinking exhaust, and two long stripes of burned rubber. Johnny and the Employee, still laughing, walk back into the store]

VIDEO STORE INT.

JOHNNY: That was awesome, thanks a lot!

EMPLOYEE: Don't mention it. It's Halloween, and everybody's entitled to a good scare, right?

JOHNNY: You said it.

EMPLOYEE: Hey, you mind if I use this bit in that screenplay I've been kicking around?

JOHNNY: Be my guest. [looks at watch] Jeez, it *is* getting late. I need to get home before Barbara changes the locks on me.

EMPLOYEE: [laughs] Perhaps you should. Don't worry, I'll take care of your returns.

JOHNNY: Thanks. See you tomorrow?

EMPLOYEE: Sure.

[Johnny leaves. The Employee locks the door behind him and turns to begin the arduous task or neatening the scattered tapes and shelves before his boss finds out. As he turns around, we cut to a closeup of a nametag reading "GEORGE"]


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This year's Halloween Horror Marathon is dedicated to the memories of the legendary filmmakers George A. Romero and Tobe Hooper. Thanks for all the frights, gents.

Image

Image

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34185
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#2 Post by AndyDursin »

We love this thread MJ. Thanks for sharing your insight as you do annually!

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#3 Post by Monterey Jack »

AndyDursin wrote: Thu Sep 07, 2017 11:22 pm We love this thread MJ. Thanks for sharing your insight as you do annually!
Thank you...it's always a blast to do these every year and share classics (and stinkers) with like-minded fans. :twisted: I decided to get this in a bit early because It drops tomorrow, and I'm hoping to get in a matinee after work. Got plenty of horror Blus on order and/or pre-order, so there's plenty to choose from. Let the screaming commence...! :D

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#4 Post by Monterey Jack »

-It (2017): 8.5/10

Image

Strong, very scary new version of Stephen King’s classic story takes many liberties with the original text (aside from upping the timeline to the late 1980’s which -- with the exception of swapping A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 for I Was A Teenage Werewolf on the local movie theater marquee – doesn’t really alter the overall narrative in any meaningful way), and yet manages to fashion it into a new shape that manages to satisfy as a stand-alone story despite only covering half of King’s sprawling brick of a novel. The key here is in the excellent young cast, who immediately gel into an ensemble that plays off each other beautifully (with Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard a particular standout as a very funny Ritchie “Trashmouth” Tozier)…you feel for each and every one of these kids. And how’s Bill Skarsgard’s take on the clown prince of terror, Pennywise? He’s very, very good, although one wishes he were given a few more juicy monologues to chew on the same way that Tim Curry was in the 1990 miniseries. While nearly three decades’ worth of special effects advances and the freedom of an R rating gives Pennywise his teeth back (literally), the new film does lean a bit too much on the standard tropes of modern-day horror cinema. More creeping menace would have been appreciated, instead of the obligatory screeching jump scares that seem grafted onto this. The movie is also beautifully shot and elegantly scored by Benjamin Wallfisch. I just hope the adult cast selected for Part Two can live up to the excellent adolescent ensemble assembled for this film, and that Pennywise’s final form is less gravely disappointing than the miniseries was. Beep-Beep!

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34185
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#5 Post by AndyDursin »

IT
8/10


Pretty much in line with you on this MJ. I actually did not think the movie was very scary though -- but still very entertaining, even if so much of it seemed "inspired" by STRANGER THINGS, right down to its central kid being cast in the "Harry Anderson role."

As always, I typically tend to criticize more than praise, but I really thought this was a nicely directed film on balance. My main gripes would be -- most of the kids weren't developed very well...I couldn't tell you what their names were outside of "Bill" and it seemed maybe one or two of them could've been jettisoned so more time could have been spent on developing the others. The acting though was all very good, the special effects didn't dwarf the picture, and the score was decent by modern standards.

On the flip side, I did think the editing became predictable -- it seemed a lot of scenes were cross-cut with others and the movie fell into a predictable rhythm at times, the music rising as you'd get to an important moment and then the movie would cut to something else before going back to it. I did notice that near the end and found it a bit tiresome. Also, I agree on Pennywise's lack of monologues -- Tim Curry did have more to do performance-wise by comparison.

Overall this doesn't reinvent the wheel but IT was always a recycling of spare parts to begin with -- sort of like STAND BY ME and horror thrown around. Even with the altered 80s setting here (which ironically I didn't feel was well applied -- it almost looked like the 60s set TV miniseries for the most part!), it felt "familiar".

It will be interesting to see what they do with the 2nd half. The big knock on IT, the TV mini in particular, is that the first half was markedly better than the second -- all the kids dwarfed the name-actors who showed up in the 2nd portion. In fact I can't even remember what happened in Part 2 of the TV mini now outside the ending (and I always liked Richard Bellis' score at the very end). That might be a challenge for them to live up to, because the 1st half of this is the superior part.

My last gripe is the a--hole whose cellphone sitting near us went off every 90 seconds, beeping with some kind of notification. It seemed to get louder as the movie progressed and would ruin dead silence whenever something was about to happen. I couldn't tell specifically who it was (the place was packed), but someone in back of us finally yelled out "shut the phone off you prick!". Then -- with literally 20 minutes left -- the guy next to me, who REEKED of pot, finally pulled out his phone and shut it off. It only took him nearly 2 hours to do so! :evil: My guess is he was so baked, he didn't realize it was his own phone. Either way, THAT kind of thing is EXACTLY why people are opting to stay home these days.

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#6 Post by Monterey Jack »

More fuel for the fire...

Image

These Best Buy-exclusive steelbooks are GORGEOUS. :D

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#7 Post by Monterey Jack »

-Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954): 8.5/10

Image

The last of the "classic" Universal Monster movies, Creature remains one of the best, a highly-entertaining romp with one of the most iconic monster designs of all time, genuine tension (sparked along by a soundtrack -- written, in part, by Henry Mancini -- that, with its shrill bursts of declarative dissonance, pretty much defines "50's monster movie music"), solid performances and the considerable eye-candy appeal of the outrageously gorgeous Julia Adams, the Jennifer Connelly of the 50's. Shame that a full-blown remake of this has never come to light after all this time, aside from the Gill-Man's supporting role in 1987's The Monster Squad...I'd love to see a respectful modern-day take on this, as long as they stick with the tried & true "man in suit" approach to the effects.

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#8 Post by Monterey Jack »

-Wait Until Dark (1967): 8/10

Image

Superior suspense piece about a young woman (Audrey Hepburn) – recently blinded in an accident – who finds herself terrorized in her apartment by a trio of ne’er-do-wells (Jack Weston, Richard Crenna, and a young Alan Arkin in a memorable early role) who are out to find a narcotics-stuffed doll her husband (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) brought home from the airport. Based on a stage play by Frederick Knott (whose work was also the basis for Hitchcock’s Dial “M” For Murder), and effectively directed by early James Bond veteran Terence Young, Wait Until Dark is a well-plotted psychological chess game for the majority of its running time, as the three criminals pose as kindly associates of Hepburn’s husband and/or authority figures as they attempt to suss out the doll’s location, but in the sensational climax, it turns into outright horror, as Arkin – at this stage in his career evoking the looks and sleek charisma of a young Andy Garcia – and Hepburn face off in her now nearly pitch-black apartment. It’s a real Bruised Forearm corker, with Henry Mancini’s queasy, disorienting score adding immeasurably to the palpable tension.

BobaMike
Posts: 558
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 5:57 pm

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#9 Post by BobaMike »

I don't really like Horror movies, but I love this thread each time it comes around! Keep it up! It's a good way for me to find out which ones I might enjoy....now I want to check out Wait Until Dark :)

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34185
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#10 Post by AndyDursin »

I wasn't huge into that one. Arkin was too over the top for my taste, but its worth a look on Blu just the same!

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#11 Post by Monterey Jack »

-mother! (2017): 7/10 (I think...?)

Image

I can't really review mother! properly until I've had a chance to chew on it a while (and watch it again), but I doubt any major movie released this year is going to incite as much Multiplex Rage as this. It's undeniably a Darren Aronofsky film, which is a prospect that will either fill you with fevered anticipation or sheer dread, but I wouldn't have it any other way...he's one of our great, truly unique filmmakers, and I'll gladly sit through something like this than a hundred CHIPS any day of the week. Haunting, perverse, shocking, and baffling, mother! is a psychological torture chamber that recalls the young Roman Polanski, and yet it's as far from the "safe", Jack-in-the-box boo machines like It as you can possibly get. If you're an Aronofsky fan, certainly go and make up your own mind, but if you just want a jump-scare machine, stay as far away as possible.

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34185
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#12 Post by AndyDursin »

Pass. Or I should say pass!

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#13 Post by Monterey Jack »

It's certainly not for everyone, and anyone suckered into the movie expecting Rosemary's Baby 2 or any other type of conventional thriller will leave the theater INFURIATED (this is why I never watch movie trailers), but it's certainly one of the most unique films released by a major studio this year.

User avatar
Monterey Jack
Posts: 9712
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:14 am
Location: Walpole, MA

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#14 Post by Monterey Jack »

-Without Warning (1980): 4/10

Image

Awfully tepid sci-fi/horror flick about your usual pack of horny teenagers (including a young David Caruso), who head into the woods for some clandestine nookie, only to be assaulted by flying discs that resemble rubbery sand dollars with teeth. Yep, it’s a game-hunting alien (portrayed by Kevin [Peter] Hall, who go on to play another alien big game hunter in Predator), and a pair of grizzled/addled locals (Jack Palance and the late, great Martin Landau, clearly slumming for a much-needed paycheck) are the only chance anyone has. Aside from some solid photography by Dean Cundey (killing time in-between John Carpenter movies), this is slow, dull, and poorly-acted, and the final alien design – when it’s finally revealed in the film’s last 10 minutes – doesn’t look much better than something you’d see in a 60’s episode of The Outer Limits.

User avatar
AndyDursin
Posts: 34185
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:45 pm
Location: RI

Re: Halloween Horror Marathon 2017

#15 Post by AndyDursin »

I thought that movie was going to be a lot more entertaining -- even on a bad movie level -- than it was. Sadly, it wasn't, even with that cast. Like you said, its mostly dull. :(

Post Reply